[dushmish]

Flashback - Sometime in Feb 2008 (or was it Jan), while driving in my pearl silver Zen Lxi to work, I saw a hoarding - The heart car - Dzire! Wow! This is what I was waiting for! My Zen was 60K and 4 yrs old then. I was contemplating passing it on to my dad in Jaipur and buy myself a new three box car. A colleague of mine showed me his Swift Zxi and I fell in love with the works it had. Checked the diesel version, it didn't have a Zdi, too bad! Checked SX4, had the works but no diesel .

Flashback within flashback - Had graduated from an 800 to Zen Lxi and didn't want to settle for a hatch. Most sedans I knew were easy to buy but difficult (read costly) to maintain. Had learnt this from my Nana ji (maternal grandfather) that one should not just buy a car but maintain it. Over the last one year the rising fuel costs had burnt a hole in my pocket and I knew if I want to satiate my hunger for driving then it has to be a diesel. Hence the search for diesel.

I live in Goregaon (E) in Mumbai. No chauffer, I drive to the doctor once a month (with two kids thats normal), the local markets, lanes and by-lanI es, all so narrow. Finding a place to park is a problem, thanks to my Zen, I never had to hunt for more than 5 minutes to find a good place. Normally would get a slot in less than 100 seconds. I didn't want to lose this privilage. So lonnnng bulky cars were not in my consideration set. Though I would love to own an SUV someday. For now, it had to be a family car.

Return to flashback - Dzire is what I was waiting. A streetcar named desire! (knew a movie by that name). I checked MUL website and EUREKA! they had a DIESEL with the WORKS! (the climate control, ABS, EBD, etc). Checked the car on a dealership during my Zen's service. It was love at first sight. I knew this was my next car. When was the question.

June we decided to buy a car. Before zeroing in on (Dzire) we checked the options available. Magnum Optra, Verna were beyond my budget of 7 lakhs. I was not getting the car financed. Was borrowing from dad though. Indigo was good but the interiors were tacky. My wife didn't like the first feel of the car. She is no car enthusiast, but I trust her decision on comfort and interiors. We then checked the DZire. Wife, daughters (5 yrs old and 16 month old) and yours truly checked the car from every angle.
1. Driving position
2. Space behind the driver (with my 6' frame not much space is left behind me). Fully back (min space), fully front (max space).
3. Recline angle of the seat. I found it to be extremely comfortable. Got my wife and daughter to check. They too liked it.
4. Rear seat comfort. One point to note was that the bench had slots for seat belt buckles. This meant the seat belt buckles won't prick the bums of the people seated. Zen we had this problem. Tackled it by pushing them out of the view completely. Could not use them even on long drives. I persosnally prefer seatbelts on long drives for rear passengers as they tend to doze off and thats risky in case of sudden braking.
5. One by one all of us (excluding my younger daughter) got in and got out of the car from every door. We did this twice and talked about the ease of ingress and egress. compared to a Zen this was very good.
6. Checked the boot, my wife and daughter loved the space. Can carry so much stuff on our long drives.
7. Customarily opened the bonnet and checked where the oil dipstick is, location of wiper washer fluid and coolant. I know what is what under the bonnet but thats where my knowledge ends. I liked what I saw in the engine compatment. Neat is the word I will use.

Decided to book. There was no case of negotiating any discount as there was a 6 month wait. The Zen would complete 5 yrs in Jan it would be just the right time to get my new car.

Back to 3rd July - Decided to buy a Dzire Zdi in red colour. Smartly thinking that less people buy red so I might get my car a little early. Paid Rs 50,000 as booking amount. Waited for a month and got restless as to why is it taking so long. Called up the dealer a couple of times. The standard response was 5 more months. Checked with MUL at Gurgaon. They referred me to the dealer. Months went by. The last I remember we waited for a delivery of a car was for my dad's 800 in 1995. After paying the full amount, we waited for 9 months to get the car. Atrocious that was. I could not believe this could happen in 2008. But it was happening and happening to me.

Was in Jaipur celebrating Diwali (end of Oct). Got a call from the dealer that a white Zdi is available. Told him to call back next day. Discussed with family. Everyone agreed for white and we informed the dealer about our decision. The documents were processed up on my return on 1st Nov. 6th was decided as delivery date.

To be continued...

[DieselFan]

Swift Dzire DDIS is a great Car. Congratulations. Awaiting for your remaining script.

I was one of the firsts to buy a DDIS in this forum. I bought it on 21-Feb-2007. It is almost 2 years and has clocked 34K kms. Great car in all angles. except for some niggles here and there. No major complaints so far and has given good driving experience both in city and on highway.

[anujmishra]

A great saga for Desire aka Dezire. We will wait for more. Congratulations for your new possession. Hope you are enjoying it.

[akroy]

Very well written, right from the heart. Congratulations on your new car.

Hope to hear more of your experience with the Dzire.

Abhi

[dushmish]

Thanks DieselFan, anuj and akroy for your comments. This is my first attempt at writing. I waited for three months before attempting it. Shall be sharing my experiences along the way.

[dushmish]

Two pictures of Iceberg, yes, thats what we named it. These are from the cellphone camra. Am going to click some pictures over the coming weekend showing the interiors and exteriors of the car.

More on the experience in the next sitting.

[loving_alaap]

Congrats for an excellent VFM car.

Do post the detailed review, especially about FE & Rattles!

[dushmish]

The Delivery

The documents were collected from my home by a runner from the dealer (Spectra Borivali). I didn't opt for finance from a bank (borrowed from Dad instead). The proccess went smooth. 6th Nov was the delivery date. I started early (read 6 pm)from office in Vakola. Left my Zen at home in Goregaon (E) and picked my wife and two lovely daughters. The traffic was horrible. A twenty minute ride in auto became 50 minutes (it seemed eternity to me!). Had waited for ages to own a sedan and now when I was to take the keys every minute was seeming eons. Called up the sales executive to inform that we will be late. The last thing I wanted was that we reach and Spectra is closed. Nah!

Well, we reached spectra at 8:30 pm. The I had a mental checklist of the documents and the steps. Had dicsussed this with the sales exec a couple of days prior to the delivery. It helps to do so. In the excitement of taking the keys a Brand New car there are bound to be misses. So I had done a dry run on the steps. All docs were in place. The sale exec showed us the car parked outside. It was ready as per instructions given. Well the instructions were:
1. no stickers
2. under-body anti rust treatment
3. MGA floor matting (one which covers the carpet completely)
4. take off all the plastics (no polythene in the car)

My elder daughter did the honours of accepting the keys. The customary photograph with the new car. What we all liked is that they printed the picture right there and gave it to us in less than 5 minutes. Felt good!

We all got in, turn of key, and WOW! Here we were in our dream car! Graduating from a Zen, I was over cautious as I drove the big car. Picked up my inlaws, visit to temple and dinner outside. The first drive in new car was great!

Now the action begins - exploring the car. Getting accesories fitted. And initial observations. Well, you will have to wait to read that.

To be continued

[dushmish]

Completed 7000 km in 102 days! This probably has been the fastest 7000 km I have ever done. I have been living the diesel dream. It is so economical to drive the Iceberg. On highways I get 19.5 km to a litre and in the stop and stop (read go) Mumbai traffic am getting 16.5 kmpl. Haven't done long highway drives though. Expect it to do 22kmpl on GQ kind highways. I have been feeding it extra-mile from a COCO IOC petrol pump. Now planning to switch to regular diesel from the same petrol pump. Any comments on the proposed switch?

Just wanted to share the news of completing 7000 km with TBHP.

Mods - How do I edit the title of the thread?

[dushmish]

Running in

The 1000 km were covered in 10 days. At the first service I got the following things done:
1. Oil change - MGP Mobil Delvac 15-40 mineral - Rs 800
2. Oil filter change - Rs 300
3. Number etched on windows and windshield - Rs 300
4. A transparent coat on the engine, battery, etc. - Rs 750
(all fig. approx).

The total bill was approx Rs 2000.

Got the sunfilm fixed at Chandrika in Dadar. Garware classic for all windows and rear. Garware Ice Cool for front windshield. No more heated dash in the car. Costed me Rs 4200. Also got transparent mats. Steering cover in synthetic leather. Air freshner - Ambi-pur. Beads for the driving seat.

I continued with the running in for 2000 more km. Undertook a drive to Chiplun post the 2000 km mark. This is on the Mumbai Goa highway. Smooth drive. I didn't go beyond 2000 rpm throughout. Not crossing 80 kmph. FE was 19.5 kmpl on xtramile.

Did another drive to Pune and a little beyond to Morya chi Chincholi (a peacock sanctuary). Nice place. FE was again 19.5.

Got the seat covers from a shop in Dadar. Costed me Rs 2800. The seats have become softer with the extra foam. No more accessories for Iceberg.

The first 5000 km were smooth. No issues at all. Chanced upon transparent door scratch guard at Popular Accessories in Malad. To be put on the edges of the doors. Got them fixed. Costed me Rs 350. They look cool and cannot be seen from a distance. Shall post some pics soon.

The second service was a four hour thing. Charge Rs 0. Need to rush for something important. Shall write more later.

To be continued.

[dushmish]

Post second service

While checking the list of things done during the service, I realised that they hadn't changed the oil and oil filter. The schedule prescribes a change only on 10k km. I was to drive to Anand 5 days after the service. I deliberated on getting the oil changed during those 5 days but time didn't allow me to get it done. What is the recommended distance before oil change (using mineral oil)?

The drive to Anand was good. FE of 19.5 km, I am a little disappointed with the figure. I am a sedate driver so I expect to get around 22 or more maybe. The Surat Baroda section was ok on way to Anand and took me 3.5 hours to cross. On the NE1 I touched 155kmph for a very short period. Iceberg was very stable and it didn't feel as if I was driving that fast. I could have gone faster but decided against.

The drive back to Mumbai was smooth. Baroda - Surat was bad though. It took 4.5 hours, thanks to a 1 hour on the Baroda bye-pass.

The sunday after the drive, I decided to get the oil changed at Spectra. I requested them to let me see it being done in the service bay. I realised that they don't let the oil drain completely and leave almost 200 ml oil in the oil chamber. It was like, unscrew the stopper screw, drain, screw it back and pour new oil. I had to ask the mechanic to stop and let the oil drain for ten minutes. I have now decided that on all oil changes I will try and supervise the draining. Not sure if I can manage that though.

One thing I forgot to mention is that I was disappointed with the brightness of the headlamps. They seemed so dull the first time I used them immediately as I drove out of the showroom. TBHP forums on headlamps were helpful. I decided to go for 100/90 philips rally lamps. This was to be done on first service. I couldn't get the said bulbs so settled for Orsam 100/90. They added a cut-out and the total cost was Rs 1150. Can someone please tell how are Orsam lamps when compared to much costlier Philips lamps? I have done highway driving and am happy with the brightness of the Orsam bulbs.

This is the first time I am driving a diesel. I have some questions on cold starts and turning off the engine.
1. How long should I wait before driving after cranking the engine after a 6 or more hours stoppage.
2. The manual says to wait for 1 minute after long drives before turning off. Should it be done even for within city driving?

Please help!

[dushmish]

Smell of Diesel in Cabin

I have observed a strange problem in Iceberg. Everytime I refuel, there is a smell of diesel that stays in the cabin for a long time (a few hours). The smell comes even if I don't roll down the windows at all. Just open the door once to step out and once to get in. The driver's side door is diagonally opposite the fuel tank so the smell has to get in from some place else.

Is this normal? Or is something wrong? Please help!

[Eddy]

Its absolutely normal as long as it happens only after a refuel. Just make sure you drive for a km or two with the windows open.

Recommended oil interval for mineral oil is 5000 kms. And 30 sec to a minute wait after a long drive should be followed. Some turbocharger gyan is the reason. The experts will give you a better answer.

[dushmish]

Thanks Eddy for your response. I have tried the windows rolled down trick since last few times. What bothers me is that I have not experienced this problem in Zen or 800 ever. Diesel molecules diffuse slower than petrol in air.

[dushmish]

Part by part review:

I have already mentioned that the head lamps were weak and had to be changed to a 100/90 to get adequate brightness for night driving. As we drove out of the showroom, I felt the car was hard on the road. And I could feel on the steering that that it was not the suspension, but the tyres that were seeming hard.

It was night and I was away from my usual petrol pump where I get the tyre pressure checked. So we continued to drive. Next day, at the first opportunity I went to the petrol pump and got the tyre pressure checked. The recommended pressure is 32psi for front and 29psi for rear. To my horror, all the tyres were inflated at 37psi. No wonder the ride was feeling bumpy. I got the pressure corrected.

This was my first time on tubeless tyres. I was still adjusting to the car and its noise levels. Driving a diesel for the first time. The ride quality continued to be a bit hard. I checked air pressure at three different places and all three gave same readings (air pressure at prescribed limit). We went for our first long drive to Chiplun on the NH4 (Mumbai Goa Highway). The car was pulling slightly to the left. Knowing the highway that it has lots of turns, I did not want to start on without proper wheel alignment. But a wheel alignment in the first 1800 km? Iceberg had not hit any pot holes or no off roading either. Why on earth would the wheels lose alignment? I got the alignment done at a shop in Vashi in the market just before the Palm Beach Marg. No balancing, just alignment. Done in 15 minutes. Started quickly, didn't take test drive and I realised I had made a mistake. The steering was cross and not centred. I hate driving with imperfect settings. The car was not pulling to the left but the steering was feeling awkward with a tilt towards left.

Found another shop in Panvel. Got the alignment done again. Took a test drive. Purrfect! Hit the highway. I found the cabin to be noisy with a whine. On observing closely I found it to be a hum of tyres hitting the tarmac. The engine was infact very silent at 80 kmph, 5th gear, 1900-2000 rpm.

Once I started observing the tyres noise, the hardness and gripping, it gave me a feeling that I was not riding on the best tyres. And it is not a good feeling to have on a new car. On my return did some research on the stock JK tyres. Found that they were supposed to deliver the performance they were delivering. Too bad! TBHP came to help in finding the right tyres, a very good thread on Michelin and Bridgestone camparo. Decided on Michelin XM +.

Was not getting any value for the stock tyres. Rs 500 per piece + Rs 1000 for the one in stepny (unused). Decided against change. Shall live with the noisy hard tyres till 20000 km. I dont think I can bear them for more than that.

Read a lot about the rattles in the Swift/Dzire. I would blame a lot of it on the tyres. The ride quality is so hard. My suggestion to aall new buyers, please change your tyres in the showroom and get a better price and amazing ride quality.

Will share the experience of the seats in the next post.